Beekeeping myths

[Antipodes]

I thought it would be good to start a thread listing all the beekeeping myths. Once settled, I'll collate them.

I'll start...

Smoking the hives causes the bees to gorge on honey

Swarm cells are on the bottom of frames

A honeybee swarm contains the old queen


Anyhow.... please comment and add more.....

 

[Stiffy]

I thought it would be good to start a thread listing all the beekeeping myths. Once settled, I'll collate them.

I'll start...

Smoking the hives causes the bees to gorge on honey

Swarm cells are on the bottom of frames

A honeybee swarm contains the old queen


Anyhow.... please comment and add more.....

Although I think the OP has the best of intentions, this thread with result in the usual protagonists getting their rubber gloves out for a spat!
S

 

[oliver90owner]

A rediculous start from a ‘stirrer’?

Any proper beekeeper knows that the natural reaction to smoke is to ready themselves for a possible evacuation from the forest fire that may be approaching.

A proper beekeeper knows that swarm cells are ften visible at the bottom of the frames in the top box of a double brood box hive. Keeping the cells safe and well within the nest is clearly the point of this action.

A proper beekeeper knows that prime swarms contain an old queen and that cast swarms contain one (or more) virgins.

If the OP is thinking these are “myths”, he is wrong. Simply plain MISINFORMATION passed from keepers of bees, and others, to new beekeepers or new beekeepers not learning the basic actions of honeybees.

Better to be educating these uneducated people and not trying to argue about the silly semantics - like excluding the important qualifying words from a perfectly obvious fact and make them into stupidly exaggerated misnomers, gorged by more of the non-properly educated people.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any proper beekeeper knows that the natural reaction to smoke is to ready themselves for a possible evacuation from the forest fire that may be approaching.

Any 'proper' beekeeper would know that this has already, categorically, been proven to be a myth, smoke, in many cases has been proven to wind up bees rather than placate them,rarely using smoke, I observed as many bees with heads in cells whether smoke is used or not (a lot of them, it now transpires are just catching a sneaky nap) having worked with African bees, where decades of well meaning teachers (usually with bits of paper proving they are 'experts') from over here have drummed in the myth that pouring gouts of smoke at bees is de rigeur, I can attest that the opposite is true - which is probably why everyone bangs on about scuttellata being such an 'agressive' bee

A proper beekeeper knows that swarm cells are often visible at the bottom of the frames in the top box of a double brood box hive.

I've found that as many swarm cells ar found on the top bar of hives, and quite a few in the middle of the frame in the oft quoted 'classic' supersedure position.
I have also often witnessed supersedure cells on bottom and side bars

A proper beekeeper knows that prime swarms contain an old queen and that cast swarms contain one (or more) virgins.

A proper beekeeper will know,In the case of clipped queens, the first swarm to leave the colony (ie not to return) is headed by a virgin, as the old, mated queen will have crashed outside the hive and the bees return to base until the first virgin emerges.

Another myth:
Having a pretty piece of paper framed and hung on your study (or toilet) wall, or a badge on your bee suit means you are an expert at keeping bees

 

[Antipodes]

Hi Oliver,

what is a prime swarm..or how would you describe one?

 

[eltalia]

I thought it would be good to start a thread listing all the beekeeping
myths. Once settled, I'll collate.

Best 0 British with that maaaaate.
Ye will be after needing a box or two of Boags after this mob is done, I tellya!
/laffs/

 

[Stiffy]

Hate to say it 😁 but told you !
S

 

[Ian123]

Do they still make Boags

 

[mbc]

How do you get a large group of beekeepers to disperse very quickly without trace?
Easy, bring out a collection plate.

 

[Beefriendly]

One needs to ask why bees appear to gorge on honey when no smoke (forest fire) is used on an inspection.

 

[Finman]

.
Where swarm cells are...... You surely see them yourself where they are. No need to read from book.

Secret is, where the hidden swarm cell is and the swarm goes.

 

[Finman]

One needs to ask why bees appear to gorge on honey when no smoke (forest fire) is used on an inspection.

You mix now two different things when bees become nervous

1) with smoke
2) without smoke

 

[Brian Bush]

Everyone knows that if you smoke bees the smoke gets in their eyes and they cannot see to sting you!!!!!!

 

[Curly green fingers]

Myth Oliver90oliver . Well I'm myth- de- fied at his comments all the while.
Myth foraging bee's won't collect pollen below 10c.
Myth core temperature of a cluster of bee's won't get bellow 13c .

 

[viridens]

One needs to ask why bees appear to gorge on honey when no smoke (forest fire) is used on an inspection.

Think of it from their point of view. Suddenly having their nest torn apart is a flight-and-fight situation by instinct.

 

[Finman]

Myth foraging bee's won't collect pollen below 10c.
:

Myth 2: Curly's thermometer is not broken.

 

[Beefriendly]

Think of it from their point of view. Suddenly having their nest torn apart is a flight-or-fight situation duplicat

 

[Beefriendly]

Think of it from their point of view. Suddenly having their nest torn apart is a flight-or-fight situation by instinct.

Yes...but not a forest fire situation....the same behaviour is observed with or without smoke. The myth is it's attributed to the smoke.

 

[Finman]

.
Myth: If you do not know what to do with hive, shake the bees out.
.

 

[Antipodes]

Perhaps another one could be:

"honey bees collect pollen and nectar, but not both at the same time".